Mine accident kills nine people in China

This photo, taken on December 4, 2016, shows rescuers exiting a coal mine after an accident in the city of Chifeng, in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (By AFP)

At least nine people have lost their lives in an incident during which the roof of a Chinese coal mine caved in.

The accident occurred as 10 miners were busy doing maintenance work at a colliery in Shuozhou city, in the coal-rich Shanxi Province, on Tuesday morning, China’s Xinhua news agency reported.

The report added that one miner was rescued.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the accident.

Earlier this month, 12 people were killed at a coal mine as result of a gas explosion in central China’s Henan Province.

Back in December 2016, following two separate explosions in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang and Inner Mongolia that collectively killed around 60 people, the deputy director of the State Administration of Coal Mine Safety, Song Yuanming, warned that collieries should not operate beyond capacity and managers should not demand overtime work.

China is the world’s largest producer and consumer of coal; and mine accidents and high numbers of casualties are common due to a lack of safety measures.

Beijing is struggling to pass strict safety regulations in the mining sector.